Nursery founder dies at 78

BANGOR – The founder of Sprague’s Nursery, a garden center and landscaping business, died March 28.

Mildred Sprague, 78, was born on July 4, 1925, in Bangor to Leaman and Ida (Fletcher) Hamm. She and her husband, Harvey Sprague Sr., started the nursery in 1947 as a loam and lawn maintenance business. They had three children, who helped her continue to run and expand the business in 1971 when Harvey Sr. died.

Friends say Sprague was passionate about landscaping, and took as much delight in the sight of a window box as she did in a large landscaping project by the nursery. They said she was familiar with a variety of plants, trees and shrubs.

Sprague spent time in Zephyrhills, Fla., later in her life while her sons continued to run the nursery, but she always kept her hand in the daily operations of the business, friends say.

Sprague is survived by her children Jeanne (Sprague) Hill and her husband, Rodney; Harvey Sprague Jr. and his wife, Diane; Daniel Sprague and his wife, Donna; and nine grandchildren.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10 a.m. today at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. The family invites friends and relatives to a reception in the parish hall after the burial. Gifts in her memory can be sent to the American Heart Association, Maine Affiliate Inc., 343 Gorham Road, South Portland 04106, or the Arthritis Foundation, Maine Region, 201 Main St., Westbrook 04092.